"This is a central element of Mexican cooking," said Corona. "A good taco should never lack good guacamole."

But Corona said that, at home, his family has reduced the amount of avocados it buys due to the prices.

"We still buy avocados, just not as much as we would like," Corona said.

The government says increased demand in the United States and a slight drop in production are to blame.

The price in the United States hit $2.23 per pound this week. In late June, the most expensive stores in Mexico had about the same prices, though the average cost per kilogram in Mexico is just under $2.

"Prices for Hass avocados have been rising for several weeks because of a drop in production of 1.2% ... added to the priority given to exports, which were 7.6% higher between January and May than they were last year," the government consumer protection agency said in a report.

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